A month or two ago I got in line for a set of Magpul MBUS. Based on the information made available by Magpul personnel, they appeared to be a viable and affordable option in a BUIS setup. I had hoped to obtain a set prior to a run of spring carbine training so that they could receive a proper workout, and the package finally arrived last week, just in time.
The MBUS units arrived in small cardboard packaging devoid of glitz or fluff, neither of which I need. The box they came in was much larger, easily capable to mailing 50 or more MBUS units. Vendors will be able to mail these in bubble mailers for next to nothing if they so choose.
Magpul shipped both a front and rear as requested. The sights received are flat black in color. They are composed almost entirely of polymer with no internal framework or chassis. The specific type of polymer is proprietary. Some assembly hardware is metal. At the front and rear of each sight unit is a steel pin upon which the sight upright and the release latch hinge. Other hardware is noted below.
The rear sight adjusts for windage only, via a threaded steel cross bolt upon which a polymer aperture assembly rides. It is similar to the conventional A1/A2 type. Adjustment is made via an adequately sized but unobtrusive knob on the right side. Each adjustment stop provides ~3/4”/100m of adjustment. The user may select either a large aperture or small. Protruding from the top of the aperture assembly is a small tab. Pushing that tab forward rotates an insert forward out of the aperture and leaves a larger viewing area exposed (dim TBD).
The front sight adjusts for elevation only, via a conventional A2-type front sight post. Turning the sight clockwise lowers the sight and raises impact, and counter-clockwise, vice versa. Each quarter turn provides 1-7/8”/100m of adjustment. There is no detent to retain the sight in position. Instead, the sight housing is drilled to allow insertion of a pin that extends between the hole and the four relief cuts in the front sight post base.
Both front and rear sight units attach via a button head cap screw, 10-24x1-1/2 in dimension. A 1/8 allen key is used, but not provided. The cross bolts are the same size in the front and rear sights, and are of sufficient diameter to fill a picatinny rail gap. I would prefer to see a slotted screw offered. A hex key can always be carried with support gear, but a slotted screwdriver can be found worldwide or easily improvised if needed.
The rear sight is installed on the rail from the rear, not over the top like some designs. Users must withdraw the charging handle from the receiver a distance to allow sufficient clearance for the sight base to slide onto the rail. The front sight is installed in a similar fashion, but from the front of the upright exposed rail end. The cross bolts must be completely removed from the sight bases for both front and rear. The nut that the cross bolt threads into is not molded into the sight base, nor is it positively retained. Care must be taken to prevent its loss.
The uprights on both the rear and front sights are retained in the down position against significant tension from a torsion spring in the sight base. Locking tabs on the release latch lock the uprights down. The sights are deployed by pressing the release latch from either the top of the sight base where the Magpul logo is molded, or either of two serrated tabs that protrude from the middle of the sight bodies. The sights are collapsed by pushing the upright down and to the rear. The sights are held in the upright position with spring tension. There is no stop or detent locking the sights in the upright position.
When mounted and retracted, the sights are lower than some competitors but not as low as others. The rear was sufficiently low to clear several simple 3-9x40 hunting optics, though it could not be deployed with all. There was sufficient clearance for both mounting and deployment with a Leupold 1-4x20 on hand at the time. Aimpoint RDS sights M2, M3, T1 presented no issues, as expected.
Overall, the sights are very simple in design and execution. With a price point that allows purchase of a set, rather than a single front or rear unit like others, they are sure to be popular.
What remains to be seen is how they will shoot, retain zero when removed from their host rifle, and retain zero over time. I’m also curious to see how the construction will endure the rigors of life in a patrol car trunk or rack, and on the range under a harsh firing schedule. The effects of sustained temperature extremes and fluctuations in the area on the polymer will also be interesting, both in the short term and over unit service life.
Magpul has an established history of GTG gear, and there’s reason for optimism with this new offering. Stay tuned as upcoming classes, continuing live fire exercises, and life on the road produce more data.
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Originally Posted by Jerm
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